The Terriers had an agreement with Florida State to play Aug. 31 in Tallahassee, Fla., but the Seminoles backed out to play at Pitt on Sept. 2 in what is expected to be a prime-time Monday night game on ESPN.

Wofford, however, was able to land a game for that last Saturday in August against Baylor at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas. It will be the Terriers' first game in that state and their first against the Big 12.

“We had an open date on the 28th (of September), so Florida State was going to play us that day,” Wofford head coach Mike Ayers said. “All of the sudden, Baylor comes into the picture. Next thing you know, it works out and we're able to open up on that first day, which we wanted to do.”

Otherwise, Wofford would have been forced to take an open date on that opening weekend and the Terriers' first game would be a Southern Conference contest at The Citadel.

“I feel like we would have been a week behind,” Ayers said. “Everybody else would have more preparation and a game under their belts.”

Teams are allowed to schedule 12 games, but Wofford will stick with 11 and a pair of open dates at seemingly good times. The Terriers get one after the first four games and another after the next four, leading into the end of the regular season against Chattanooga, Appalachian State and Furman.

“We had an opportunity to get somebody (scheduled for one of the open dates), but at this late date, probably not,” Ayers said. “It just worked out this way and I think it's good. We'll have a chance to refresh and get ready for the next run of games.”

Baylor went 8-5 last season, including a Holiday Bowl victory, 49-26, against UCLA. It will be the final opening game at a stadium called “The Case.” The Bears will play in a new stadium in 2014. Baylor returns 13 starters from a team that set or tied 37 school records and two NCAA marks. The Bears have won back-to-back bowl games for the first time in a quarter century.

“They've got a heck of a football team,” Ayers said. “Offensively last year, they were fourth in the nation in scoring. They've got some great ideas, conceptually, on offense. They do a nice job with the personnel on defense, too. They have a lot of speed, they play hard and they play well. It's a big challenge.”

Wofford, which went 9-4 last season and made the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, will go right into Southern Conference play after the opener in Texas. The Terriers are at The Citadel on Sept. 7 and then play host Sept. 14 to FCS national semifinalist Georgia Southern.

“We'd better be ready out of the chute,” Ayers said. “Those are two quality football teams. They know what they're doing and they're well-coached. Georgia Southern was a coat of paint away from playing for the national championship. The Citadel was a team that last year beat Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. So those are going to be very difficult openers in the conference.”

Wofford has non-conference games at home against Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian, with an open date in between, during the middle part of the schedule. Homecoming will be Oct. 12 against Elon.

<p>Wofford lost a big-time opponent to kick off the 2013 football season but replaced it with another.</p><p>The Terriers had an agreement with Florida State to play Aug. 31 in Tallahassee, Fla., but the Seminoles backed out to play at Pitt on Sept. 2 in what is expected to be a prime-time Monday night game on ESPN.</p><p>Wofford, however, was able to land a game for that last Saturday in August against Baylor at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas. It will be the Terriers' first game in that state and their first against the Big 12.</p><p>“We had an open date on the 28th (of September), so Florida State was going to play us that day,” Wofford head coach Mike Ayers said. “All of the sudden, Baylor comes into the picture. Next thing you know, it works out and we're able to open up on that first day, which we wanted to do.”</p><p>Otherwise, Wofford would have been forced to take an open date on that opening weekend and the Terriers' first game would be a Southern Conference contest at The Citadel.</p><p>“I feel like we would have been a week behind,” Ayers said. “Everybody else would have more preparation and a game under their belts.”</p><p>Teams are allowed to schedule 12 games, but Wofford will stick with 11 and a pair of open dates at seemingly good times. The Terriers get one after the first four games and another after the next four, leading into the end of the regular season against Chattanooga, Appalachian State and Furman.</p><p>“We had an opportunity to get somebody (scheduled for one of the open dates), but at this late date, probably not,” Ayers said. “It just worked out this way and I think it's good. We'll have a chance to refresh and get ready for the next run of games.”</p><p>Baylor went 8-5 last season, including a Holiday Bowl victory, 49-26, against UCLA. It will be the final opening game at a stadium called “The Case.” The Bears will play in a new stadium in 2014. Baylor returns 13 starters from a team that set or tied 37 school records and two NCAA marks. The Bears have won back-to-back bowl games for the first time in a quarter century.</p><p>“They've got a heck of a football team,” Ayers said. “Offensively last year, they were fourth in the nation in scoring. They've got some great ideas, conceptually, on offense. They do a nice job with the personnel on defense, too. They have a lot of speed, they play hard and they play well. It's a big challenge.”</p><p>Wofford, which went 9-4 last season and made the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, will go right into Southern Conference play after the opener in Texas. The Terriers are at The Citadel on Sept. 7 and then play host Sept. 14 to FCS national semifinalist Georgia Southern. </p><p>“We'd better be ready out of the chute,” Ayers said. “Those are two quality football teams. They know what they're doing and they're well-coached. Georgia Southern was a coat of paint away from playing for the national championship. The Citadel was a team that last year beat Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. So those are going to be very difficult openers in the conference.”</p><p>Wofford has non-conference games at home against Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian, with an open date in between, during the middle part of the schedule. Homecoming will be Oct. 12 against Elon.</p><p>The Terriers start spring practice on March 4.</p>